But China's Ministry of Education this week went a step further in warning pupils at primary and secondary schools to clean their lunch plates or risk black marks in school reports – also known as “comprehensive assessments”.

Finishing every last grain of rice from the bowl has long been highly praised at Chinese dinner tables. But the new measures will help “teach frugality” and ensure students “inherit Chinese traditional values”, the Ministry of Education said.

“Schools should hold food-saving educational activities and put the students’ daily food-saving behavior into their comprehensive assessments,” said the directive, which was posted on the website of China’s Ministry of Education on Monday.

Students who finish all the food they purchase from the canteen would boost their chances of receiving “prizes and scholarship awards,” added the new rules.

Millions of Chinese pupils are currently undertaking the highly stressful university entrance examination – or ‘Gaokao’.

Chinese pupils prepare to take GaokaoCredit:
Liu Ying / Xinhua

The test is considered a make-or-break moment for many students in China, as it often determines whether they will enter a top university, or be forced to follow a less favourable career path.

The school report is often also considered by ever-choosy universities admissions departments.

The new measures also say teachers will be “supervised and examined” on food-saving measures that they roll out in schools.

“The food saving results will be an important part to evaluate a teacher,” the rules said.